Surgery for cardiac myxomas: 12-year experience

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Cardiac Surgery
• Oncology

Background:

• Cardiac myxoma is a rare benign cardiac tumor with an incidence of 0.5-1 case per million people annually.
• It represents the most common primary heart tumor, despite its low overall incidence.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review a 12-year surgical experience with cardiac myxomas.
• To analyze clinical, pathological, diagnostic, and surgical features of cardiac myxoma treatment.
• To evaluate surgical outcomes, including recurrence and survival rates.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective analysis of 90 patients who underwent surgical treatment for cardiac myxomas between January 2010 and December 2022.
• Data collected included patient demographics, medical history, surgical procedures, and pre- and post-operative outcomes.
• Median follow-up duration was 76 months.

Main Results:

• The study included a mean patient age of 59.4 years, with a higher prevalence in women.
• Common presenting symptoms were arterial embolism and dyspnea; 35.6% were asymptomatic.
• The left atrium was the most frequent location; recurrence occurred in 2.7% of patients. Hospital and long-term mortality rates were 2.2% and 15.6%, respectively.

Conclusions:

• Surgical excision of cardiac myxoma offers favorable short- and long-term results.
• The study confirms surgical treatment as the management of choice for cardiac myxomas.
• Low recurrence rates and good survival underscore the efficacy of surgical intervention.